It’s been six years since Q Acoustics had the speaker world swooning over its formidable and affordable 3000i speaker series. But today, on the opening day of the elite High End Munich audio trade show in Germany, the British speaker maker finally announced the collection’s latest generation, the Q Acoustics 3000c. And the good news is that they’re still sexy-looking and still affordable.
“The 3000c is the perfect entry point into a modern audiophile world or as a cost-effective speaker upgrade,” Q Acoustics says in its press release. And with prices ranging between $399 and $1,199, that statement might be right on the money. The 3000c collection is made up of five new models: the 3010c bookshelf, the 3020c and larger 3030c standmount models, the 3050c floorstanders, and the 3090 center channel for those wanting to set up a home theater.
The 3000c series’ high performance is going the benefit greatly from the company’s C3 (Continuous Curved Cone) midrange/bass driver design that Q Acoustics introduced in its premium 5000 series speakers, as well as in its M40 powered micro towers. Q Acoustics claims that the C3 design improves control over bass dynamics for better sound quality in the mid and low ranges, while also offering “smoother integration with the high-frequency driver.” As with many of Q Acoustics other speaker products, such as the excellent MD20 HD powered speakers, Q Acoustics says that the C3 design allows the user more flexibility with speaker placement, such as being able to get them closer to walls.
The 3000c collection’s cabinets also benefit from some design elements from the company’s Concept 300 and Concept 500 range in the form of Q Acoustics’ proprietary Point to Point (P2P) bracing and its Helmholtz Pressure Equalizer tubes that work to disrupt the buildup of standing waves and smooth frequency response. The Helmholtz Pressure Equalizer, however, is only in the 3050c floorstanding speakers.
Q Acoustics’ speakers have always maintained a high level of sophistication in their design aesthetic and finish variety, and the 3000c series is no different. The new collection adds some new metallic trim around the drivers (satin nickel and satin chrome in the white series) and will be available in four finishes: new lighter “Pin Oak” and darker wood “Claro Rosewood” coverings, as well as the classic Satin White and Satin Black finishes.
All of the new Q Acoustics speakers will be available beginning August 2024. Pricing is as follows:
Additionally, the 3000c collection is also available in two 5.1 channel home theater bundles that will also be available in August, but their prices have yet to be determined.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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